Chapter 21:
"Malfoy!" Hermione stood from her seat with such force that her chair toppled over behind her, every set of eyes in the cafeteria trained on them.
"Granger," he drawled as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened as all pairs of eyes turned his way, most girls swooning in their minds at the hunk that was now walking, nay, prowling in their midst.
"What are you doing here?"
He smirked, "Not big on greetings, you Gryffindors, are you?"
Unthinking, Hermione clenched her wand tighter through her sleeve, one smooth tug and it would be in her hand if she needed to yield it.
Draco saw the move and raised one perfect eyebrow. "I only want to talk," he lifted his hands in the universal sign of submission. "Here, in front of your new schoolmates or outside in private, I'll leave the choice to you."
Never in her life had Hermione ever thought she'd walk away willing to talk to Draco Malfoy of all people, in private, but she agreed. Not wanting to give more fodder to the gossip mills, she excused herself from her table and walked away, pulling at the cafeteria's side-entrance door to step out onto the green lawns. She did not need to turn around to know Draco was following her, the tingling in her nape caused by his undoubtedly unblinking stare was enough of a give-away.
Finding a secluded corner under the shade of tree, she fired her questions one after the other. "What do you want to talk about? Why are you here? How did you know where to find me?"
Just like everyone else, the vampires felt the tension in the air and when Hermione excused herself and was followed out by the pale blond, Edward rose from his chair, too. Alice quickly put her hand on his, "She needs this. Or else she'll burn under all the stress. Let them speak, it's all for her benefit."
Feeling uneasy, Edward sat down, none too happy about the new events.
Outside, Draco gave Hermione a long look, his eyes taking in every aspect of her appearance. "You're beat."
"Spill, Malfoy or I'm leaving."
And yet he remained lost in thought for a little longer. Just when Hermione was giving up and walking back through the path she had come from, he began. "I wanted to thank you, for speaking up for my mother and I. Had it not been for Potter and you, we would've been thrown into Azkaban, being punished for the sins of my father."
Hermione stared hard at the young man in front of her and saw the sincerity that once was very rarely reflected in his eyes and she offered him a small smile. "You fought for us after the Room of Requirement incident and your mother lied to Voldemort for Harry, that was enough to put our trust in you."
He inclined his head in gratitude, knowing that if the tables were reversed, he would neither have spoken for her nor tried to give her, her freedom in any way.
"How did you know where to find me?"
"Potter gave the name and the co-ordinates of the place and told me you went to school here and your timings."
"But why? A simple thank-you note would have sufficed, you know."
His eyes turned liquid silver in amusement. "I owe you a life debt, a simple letter would never have sufficed, or did you not read those books yet?" She opened her mouth to cut him, but he continued before any sound escaped her, "Potter told me because I approached him for something more than expressing my gratitude."
"Without any further ado.." Hermione waved her hand in front of her as if asking him to continue.
"Mother wishes to be with her sister at her time of need and I want to be a part of my nephew's life," Draco sated simply and yet Hermione felt as if the ground beneath her feet was pulled away from under her.
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Hermione sat quietly through the remainder of her day at school, when back she went straight to Andromeda's room and emerged only an hour later, heading for the fireplace in the hall. She floo called Harry, rousing him from his slumber and both of them spoke for long in a privacy bubble she had placed permanently around the floo.
When she came off her floo call, she was decidedly worse for wear. Her skin looked ashen, her face and hair were coated with floo powder and soot, her eyes were burning with unshed tears and her face was turning pale blue with all the throbbing nerves.
"I need some tea. Would any of you like some?" she asked unthinkingly.
When the vampires empathetically returned her look, she cringed. "I am so sorry. I.. I'll go make myself some tea," she smiled wanly and jerkily moved towards the kitchen.
She stood in the spacious kitchen, in automation assembled her tea and stared absent mindedly at the water for far too long.
"Sweetheart, you realize that you need to switch on the gas for the water to boil, right?" Edward asked her from the doorway.
Hermione looked up at him in confusion first, then groaned in frustration at the unlit stove, though not switching it on either.
"You want to talk about it?" he asked her softly, quietly stepping in beside her.
Her entire demeanor turned helpless, her shoulders sagged and her eyes lost all their luster. "I can't.. I can't do this, Edward. Andromeda wants to reconcile with her sister. Teddy would benefit from knowing his only other blood relatives.. but, I can't. I can't share him.. I can't lose him.." she whispered so softly that had the other occupants of her house not been vampires, they wouldn't have heard the last part at all.
Rosalie tensed up in the hall at the last part and immediately appeared in the kitchen, all her maternal instincts raised. "What do you mean lose Teddy?"
"Draco.. the guy who came to see me today is Andromeda's nephew. Andromeda comes from a pureblood family and she left it all when she fell in love with her husband, a half-blood. Her family disowned her, never to speak to her again. But now, with everything settling down, her sister, Draco's mother, wants to reconcile with her estranged sister. Draco wants to be a part of Teddy's life, he never had any chance to meet his only cousin, he... I am okay with all of it. Who am I to stop a family from coming together? But..." she shivered, wrapping her arms protectively around her middle.
"But they are very rich, even influential. What if they decide they want more? What if they take my Teddy away from me? I can't live without him. I can't do that.. I love him as he were my own, and if they take him away..." and she broke down like she had never before.
Between sniffles, she continued speaking, "He is all I have now... The only one to call my own. I can't lose him now, not like this. I need him more than he needs me. And... And what if they take him away? How will I live knowing he is right there but so far away...?"
She hadn't realized when Edward crouched low beside her and cradled her to himself, tucking her head in his hard chest but when she looked up, she wasn't surprised to be held so comfortingly by him, it was almost as if she didn't register anything beyond her doubts and grief.
"Harry says it's the right thing to do. He's promised me they can't take Teddy away.. but what if it all backfires? I can't imagine a life without Teddy in it.. I just can't Edward..." Hermione clutched at his shirt's front and buried herself in his chest, crying, wetting his shirt with her tears.
Edward held her close and rubbed her back, whispering comforting words . "He won't, sweetheart. I promise you I won't let anyone take Teddy away from you." He kissed her forehead. This is probably how parents felt when they worry about their kids, he thought, wondering how his own mother must have felt when she'd seen him close to death.
Rosalie looked at the scene playing out in front of her and felt her un-beating heart clench. Just as well she couldn't cry, or else she would definitely be beside the brunette, howling her own grief, wailing loudly to all the heavens up, above. She then looked carefully at the tender way in which Edward held Hermione to himself, promising her things she was pretty he didn't know how to deliver, but knowing Edward, he'd find a way, she knew. The stupid git was resourceful and just plain lucky!
She stared surprised when he didn't look up at her for her thoughts. It really could be the real thing, she thought biting her lip and turned her attention to her family who were all standing by the kitchen's entrance watching the couple on the floor. All except one, her Emmett. He only looked at her.
She didn't have to think twice. In two swift steps she was in his arms and he kissed her forehead. "No one's taking Teddy away, I won't let them. You know I'd kill to keep you happy, right? And no one goes against me, I am the strongest vampire there is, I'm near indestructible," he shrugged arrogantly, pulling a smile from his Rose. "Good," he pecked her nose, "Now, just keep smiling like this for me and point me in the direction of this Draco guy, and I'll sort out the rest."
Alice's tinkling giggle cut through the tense atmosphere. "He won't do anything of that sort Hermione. Trust me on this one. He, and his mother for that matter, only want to be a part of Andromeda's and Teddy's lives, just give them one chance, for me, and you'll see that everything will fall in line."